


Between the man and machine

by Kakashisith



Category: Terminator (Movies)
Genre: Arguing, Attempted Rape/Non-Con, Bad Relationship, F/M, Friends to Lovers, Love Confessions, Pops is in love, Possessive Behavior, Unhealthy Relationships, breaking up, machine with feelings
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-03-03
Updated: 2018-09-26
Packaged: 2019-03-26 10:28:07
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 6
Words: 6,026
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13855902
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kakashisith/pseuds/Kakashisith
Summary: One of my readers wrote :     Hey, can you do a please 2017 Old Wrinkly Pops x Sarah ( but where she was 9 when he saved her in 1973) and Sarah and Kyle are girl friend boy friend and this version of Sarah always saw Pops as a father figure. But when Kyle is gone often. Searching for clues if Genisys (The end scene from the movie) is active and where it is. And over time Sarah starts to develop feelings for Pops. And when she tells him and kisses him please please make Pops reject her. Only seeing her as a daughter until Sarah turns up one day after a fight with kyle. Lieing to Pops she fell. And Pops slowly falls in love with her even telling himself that its wrong since for the past 11 years he had raised her. But he cant keep his feelings gone for long.So, I`m trying my best. If anyone has new ideas, just write me kakashisith@gmail.com*-means thoughts or memories.





	1. Chapter 1

"What does a man do?  
What does a man?  
That can't distinguish a person from an animal?  
What?

He will go to his daughter so late  
She is young and she's such sweet bait  
Just as if he were a dog  
With his own flesh and blood he will mate

What - do you do?  
What - do you feel?  
What - are you?  
Only an animal

What does a woman do?  
What does a woman do?  
That can't tell the difference between a man and an animal?

She dips the feather in his blood  
Writes herself so many lines  
A lifeless letter from her childhood  
As her father slept by her side

What (animal) do you do?  
What (animal) do you feel?  
What (animal) are you?  
Only an animal..."  
Sarah Connor was brushing her long, brown hair, while listening to some music. The song was named "Beast" and the more she listened to it, the more she liked it.  
Five months ago Sarah and her guardian, Pops, had picked up Kyle Reese. It was the man, who was supposed to be Sarah`s boyfriend and the father of her future child, but... Something in his behavior wasn`t the way Sarah wanted it to be.  
He was too possessive and Sarah was a free spirit. She wanted to go and be, whenever she wanted. Nobody, not a stranger like Kyle, was going to command her.  
Of course, Kyle was trying to locate Skynet in order to help Sarah and Pops, but his manners weren`t something to impress Sarah. He was drinking too much, at least it seemed so to Sarah and when drunk, he become annoying and even violent.  
Sarah wasn`t ready to share bed with him, not yet. But Kyle went on her nerves with having sex finally and Sarah had to think ways, why not.  
In fact, Sarah saw Pops more than just a father figure. But Pops was just acting cold and saying, that he can`t do this and that Sarah`s meant to be with Kyle.  
"It is your fate,"that`s what Pops said.  
Sarah was angry and snapped,"There is no fate but what we make ourselves,"and stormed out of the house, where the three lived together.  
"Sarah!" Pops shouted, following her. "Where you think you`re going?"  
"Out!" Sarah turned her angry eyes towards Pops. "I just need some air."  
"I should come with you and protect you,"suggested Pops.  
"As you know, I am more than capable to protect myself...thanks to you and your teachings."  
"I know. But I can`t let you wander off all alone."  
Blue eyes wide, Sarah stared up to Pops."Oh fine then..."  
Sarah rested her head against Pops, mind racing. Could she possibly be falling for the man-machine she`d known about 10 years? Could she live with herself, if she just told Kyle, that she doesn`t want him? What if...?  
She was accepting Kyle Reese as an ally, but not as her boyfriend.  
"You should not do it,"Pops commented dryly, when Sarah put her tiny, feminine arms around him. "Your heart rate is increasing."  
Licking her lips, Sarah let out a shaky breath. "We should go and find Skynet if...Kyle hasn`t already found it`s location."  
"Correct."  
"So we blow it the hell up..."Sarah spoke solemnly, a small smile tugging at her lips.  
"We blow it up,"Pops added, emotionless from the outside.  
"Okay then,"Sarah Connor added grimly, "let`s find Kyle and get ready."

*He carried her a long way before setting her down next to a large, serious-looking motorcycle. She stared at him. Huge, he was so huge.  
Like, bigger than mountain, huge. And masculine, a bit scary face. But not as scary as the liquid metal.  
Or the exploded cabin.  
"Who are you?" Sarah`s voice sounded little, afraid.  
Like someone who was crying. And she was crying...  
"I am the T-800 Terminator, Cyberdyne Systems Model, 101."  
Lots of words, big words. Weird words on a weird voice. Words, that didn`t make sense.  
"Are you a person?"  
He didn`t look at her first. "I am a cybernetic organism. Living tissue over metal endoskeleton. Partly man, partly machine."  
She didn`t understand it. She didn`t understand him.  
Or why the cabin had blown up. Or why the liquid metal had attacked her father`s boat. She didn`t understand any of it and she was afraid.  
"I don`t understand that! Say something I could understand!"  
He turned to look at her. She stood there trembling, crying, terrified.  
And lost.  
When he spoke, his strange voice sounded like a machine, dead tones, uncaring, emotionless.  
"Your parents are dead. I am here to protect you. I will never let anyone hurt you. I am your guardian."  
She stared at him, unable to speak, unable to move, unable to breathe.  
He sat down on the bike and it groaned under his weight.  
"It is not safe here. We must go. Now."  
She stared at him a minute longer. He stared right back.  
She got on the bike and rode away from everything she had known before.*

Sarah run first, Pops behind her, they had found Kyle Reese. But what`s most important, Kyle Reese had located Skynet.  
"John Connor is here?" Pops asked, emotionless voice making it sound more than statement than a question. Sarah was surprised, but asked nothing instead of letting her eyes wander to Reese who had struck out ahead and disappeared out of the hole in the wall. John meant something to Sarah, she couldn`t deny it. She loved the idea of him, the John Connor who came from the stories that Pops recited to her from his memory drives. She loved the idea of such a brave and strong man being her son.  
But she didn`t know him personally, not really, there just hadn`t been enough time. Certainly not in the way Reese did. Those two shared a bond like family, like brothers.  
John was like a father to Kyle, his mentor and confidant...his best friend and the only family he had.  
Now, in the parkade, Sarah slowed her pace, lagging behind Pops when she noticed Kyle standing not far away. Approaching him, she looked into his face, which was pained and angry.  
"We don`t have time,"she spoke quietly, touching Kyle`s shoulder.  
In their moment, neither of them had noticed Pops retrieving his lost shotgun from where it had skittered away. Just as they were close enough to see the form of John Connor, slumped beside the parked car, Pops stepped up beside them.  
"John Connor,"the Terminator spoke.  
To Kyle`s shock and relief, the man raised his head, setting dull and pained eyes to T-800.  



	2. Chapter 2

John Connor kept his eyes locked on Pops.  
Heart thundering and mind racing Kyle Reese looked up just in time to see the T-800 raise the barrel of his shotgun to point at John`s head.  
"No!" both Reese and Sarah shouted almost in unison, Kyle moving in front of it`s line and Sarah slammed her body against T-800`s arm.  
"Stop! What are you doing?" Sarah Connor shouted expression panicked as she watched her protector recover. Pops only set his unyielding gaze on the young woman as he lowered the weapon slightly.  
"Your decision not to terminate him is a tactical error." the T-800 finally spoke, turning his gaze down at Reese who was looking angrily up at him. When the soldiers hand moved to raise his gun, something stopped him.  
"Kyle, don`t..."  
It was John, and he slowly took the gun out of Kyle`s hand.  
"He tried to kill you! Why am I the only one who seems to have a problem with him being here? Why do you trust him?"  
"Because a T-800 like him was the closest thing I ever had to a father!"John Connor spoke up, voice coming up more harsh than he intended.  
"But wait..."Kyle was confused,"where was I? You knew I was your father...when you were a kid. Where was I?"  
"Kyle," John looked away again, actually turning, but the soldier caught his shoulder before he could go away.  
"You died."  
"What?" Kyle let his hand fall from John`s shoulder as he took a step back.  
"You died, Kyle." John Connor turned his blue eyes to meet Kyle. "Before I was born. Mom always avoided the subject, skirted around details... That moment I saved you when you were a kid was the first time I ever met you."  
"But..."Kyle whispered, eyes flickered around in the room, "but...then you knew...when you sent me back."  
"Yes."John whispered. "I kept thinking, that things might be different. I`m sorry, Kyle..."  
"Things are different,"Kyle Reese smiled."I am alive and not going anywhere."  
"I know,"John Connor stood up,"I would never let you die."

Sarah hadn`t noticed, that Pops was missing. Again!  
Pops, who was already suspicious about John Connor and his weird body, had went into the basement. What he saw there, wasn`t good.  
There was a hidden factory of Terminators, T-1000, T-3000, all more advanced than him. Seeing this, Pops realized, that this John Connor-if he was John Connor, wasn`t the good guy he tried to make Kyle Reese and Sarah Connor to see.  
*Who will stop the madman's reign?* worried Pops, seeing this hidden death battalion. He knew, that he had to destroy all the other Terminators in order to prevent chaos and another Judgment Day from happening.  
Then he realized another, very important thing- Sarah and Kyle were on a path to certain death.  
An invasion is coming but when will it start? Right now he was the only one, who knew about the hidden Terminators and the only right thing to do was to destroy them before John Connor or Skynet`s AI activated them.  
The only question was- how? Shooting the T-1000s and T-3000s into pieced wouldn`t be effective. They probably would melt and be in one piece again. And then, they would attack. He knew, what he had to do.

"Are you human?" asked Kyle Reese hesitantly.  
"I`m human,"John Connor replied quietly,"About 50 percent human, anyway." setting his eyes on Kyle he spoke again." Go to Sarah. I`ll find...Pops or however you call it."  
He turned around the corner and then stopped...  
"Skynet..."John growled slightly, hands held defensively in front of his body. The only T-5000 model had the ability to shape changing.  
"You`re a hard man to find." the AI smiled at him, taking a step forward. "I`ll give you one final chance to join me."  
Narrowing his eyes and tensing, waiting for the attack that would come anyway, John Connor spoke. "You made me the enemy I am now. You cannot stop me."  
"But I can. I will destroy the one I`ve made." the AI said with monotone voice.  
But before the T-5000 could attack him, the wall crashed and John could see a huge figure through the dust. It was Pops, just in time.  
This made John Connor show his true intention. With brute strength he attacked Pops, who fell against the other wall, breaking it.  
"Cold blood - runs in my blackened heart..."Pops blocked a hit, and then another.  
"This is getting boring,"he said,"and you are dangerous."  
" Your tomb... is waiting here for you..."the half-machine John Connor attacked again, now they were face to face. Pops slammed him against a wooden door.  
Pops lifted him up, he weighted less than him. "I will take your final breath."  
"Where are my Terminators?" asked John Connor, or what`s left on him.  
"They`ll be blown up, when Sarah and Kyle destroy Skynet completely."  
"No!!!!"  
"Stay here."Pops ordered and cuffed him on a table."You`re dangerous and I cannot let you kill Sarah or Kyle."  
Then he walked through the huge hole in the wall to find Sarah Connor and Kyle Reese.  
Gritting his teeth, John tried to get free from handcuffs.

Sarah was just to step into an elevator with Kyle, when Pops arrived.  
"This way."Pops ducked down a hall, then another.  
"What? You`ve been here before?" Kyle Reese questioned, following close behind.  
"Much like John Connor, I infiltrated the work crews that build this factory." Pops turned down another hall that was lined with monitors, all showing the countdown. Sarah was about to speak, when the monitors flickered and turned black.  
"Wait,"she said, losing her train of thought as she slowed, focusing on the screens.  
"I know who you are. You`ve come to destroy me." a small voice echoed through the overheard speakers as dots of light formed into a hologram blocking the way.   
"You`re..."Sarah stunned.  
"Skynet,"Kyle Reese growled, raising his gun at the fully formed hologram, but not firing yet.   
"I`m becoming Skynet." the voice corrected, peering up at them with a face of a child.  
"You`re not a child,"Sarah grit out, raising her gun as well.  
"We know what you are,"Kyle growled again,"what you are going to do."  
"What I`m going to do?" the hologram tipped it`s head."You came here to kill me." there was something dangerously close to emotion in that voice.   
"But that`s not going to happen." a new voice echoed through the hall. At the appearance of it`s future self, the AI flickered away."Kyle Reese...and Sarah Connor...killing you would be a challenge." Skynet spoke before sprinting forward. He was quickly intercepted by Pops, who had pulled on the magnetic field gauntlets.   
"Go! Ahead and down the stairs!" the T-800 yelled before taking the T-5000 through a wall with him, clearing a path for the two.


	3. Chapter 3

Rushing through the lowest levels, Kyle Reese had already wasted most of magazines of his semi-automatic gun just busting through locked doors.  
"Are we almost there?"  
"It`s just through here and across the larger room."Sarah pointed to yet another steel door.  
Loud steps behind them caused both to turn wide eyed, and guns raised but it was only Pops. The T-800 was looking worse for wear. A lot of the skin on his face had been scraped away leaving the steel to shine from underneath. And weird, but his wounds were also bleeding, like humans did. One of his arms had a similar look going on, his jacket sleeve hanging torn on his side.  
"He is subdued, but only for a moment." the middle-aged Terminator answered their question before either of them could even ask. He had left the T-5000 pinned against a wall using a large piece of shrapnel.  
"Then we better move,"pointed Sarah out, then gave Pops another look." Are you in pain?"  
Pops kicked the door out of the way, then turned his gaze to Sarah. " I don`t know. I could say I FEEL pain, when I get injured."  
The next room had a large window instead of the wall. The contents on it caused Kyle Reese to slow, brows furrowing. "It`s a time machine..."  
"It`s not functional."Pops wasted no time striding across the room to the next door. "Only the quantum field works. Nothing else."  
Sarah had felt Kyle`s eyes on her all the time and she felt uncomfortable. She felt like a cheep being watched by a hungry wolf.  
She wanted to step closer to Pops, but Kyle grabbed her hand so tightly it hurt and stopped. "You`re staying with me."  
Sarah sighed deeply, she had to deal with Kyle later. She was tired of Kyle Reese getting to her nerves, when he became drunk and horny. Usually, when he was sober he wasn`t behaving like that. He could, somehow, understand, that Sarah wasn`t interested in him. But when he was drunk, Sarah had to lock herself into her room.  
But right now, Kyle was kind of right....he just wanted Sarah to be safe. And she couldn`t be mad at him. Yet, she didn`t want to be left alone with him, not tete-a-tete.  
"What about John?" asked Sarah.  
"I think he`s doing just fine..."answered Kyle Reese, walking next to her through another big hall. They opened a class door and looked around suspiciously.   
There was another big screen with numbers on it. When Kyle and Sarah stepped closer, the screen turned black. A figure was slowly moving through the screen, it had human`s form. Skynet`s AI,again...  
"John told me everything about you."the AI said with emotionless voice."I`m becoming Skynet."  
"I have to destroy you..."mumbled Sarah and raised her gun.  
"You`re too late. Ask him."the AI turned it`s head towards John Connor or whatever he was.  
Sarah wasted no time and fired some shots to the cyborg, but this didn`t stop him from coming towards them both. Sarah turned her head and saw, that Pops was missing again.  
"You...cannot..."John Connor had a huge hole in his chest, yet he or it came forward,"...kill me! But you don`t understand..."  
Kyle had shot his head, so the cyborg fell down with a big thump.  
Then, he stood up, looking at Sarah and Kyle, while his wounds healed rapidly."...that there are not enough bullets to destroy me."  
Sarah and Kyle were empty, but then suddenly something came crashing through the door, hitting John into the chest and he flew several meters away, against the wall.  
He was nailed into his screen.  
Both Kyle and Sarah turned their heads to see Pops walking over the class. "John Connor talks too much."  
He saw,that the cyborg was trying to break free. "Follow me."  
"The timer has sped up,"Sarah walked next to Pops, loading her gun. Kyle followed them, looking behind his back.  
"We no longer have days. We have hours."Pops commented dryly.   
Pops slammed a metal door in, and then they were in a big room. The quantum-machine was in the middle of it, activating.   
"What the hell?" Kyle stopped for a second."John has a time-machine?" he turned his gaze to Pops.  
"Not yet. Only the magnetic quantum-field, as I said before."  
Kyle grabbed some detonators.  
"Let`s blow this up, and get out in time."  
"We`ll blow it anyway."  
"There is an alternative. I was here to program the voice and befriended with the paramedic security system."Pops was leading the way. "There is safer on the lowest level, there we can survive the blast."  
When they crossed a bridge, Sarah saw some cyborgs being made."What about them? Are they dangerous?"  
"Poly-alloy requires programming."Pops didn`t waste any time to look down."Without the CPU they`re harmless."  
In a smaller room, filled with stairs and bridges, Pops threw his bag he was carrying all the time, to the ground."Take, what you need. I gonna put them on 11 minutes." he continued, taking some detonators.  
"We`ll split up,"said Sarah after a brief hesitation. "Stay in contact."  
Pops turned his back to them, going to the left. Sarah grabbed about ten detonators, heading to the right ,Kyle also armed, went up the stairs.  
Sarah climbed up a ladder and started putting detonators to the place. Just when she had placed the second detonator to the place and activated it, the AI appeared in front of her.  
"Mankind has never served the peace."  
"The final solution is to kill us all?"Sarah asked, raising her gun and shooting into the AI`s direction. When the AI disappeared, Sarah put the gun between her belt."I don`t think so..."  
Then she contacted Kyle"The timer jumped again. We have about 8 minutes."  
Kyle was turning around, when the AI appeared.  
"I won`t allow this."  
"What you gonna do? Talk me to death?" Kyle challenged the AI.He shot the AI,"You don`t even have the body."  
The AI disappeared, to come out behind Pops.  
"And you ain`t even a man."  
Pops didn`t turn around, he just fired a single bullet.  
Sarah was running to another level and sighed in annoyance, when she saw the AI again.  
"You can`t win."  
One shot, and it was gone. Turning around, she saw a figure, but this time it was a very angry John Connor. In panic, Sarah fired at him, while stepping back.  
"I got company,"she managed to yell, when John just lifted her up, like she was a kitten or something weightless.  
She lost the detonator, but to her relief Pops, who was one level below, caught it on fly.   
The cyborg John pushed his metallic claw through Sarah`s shoulder, making her yelp in pain.   
Pops looked up to her, then to the detonator in his hand. "I cannot...I cannot kill Sarah Connor."  
He slowly looked her in the eyes.  
"Do it!"yelled Sarah, struggling to get free. "I order you!"  
"Good idea,"the evil John smiled, holding her in place"you gonna die. When you die, your life has been pointless."  
"Sarah!" Kyle came running and stopped next to Pops, who was looking up. Kyle took out his Colt.  
Both men looked at each other, then Pops took his magnetic gauntlet, which caused the attacker to flow away from Sarah and land against a metallic pillar.  
Quickly, it got back his form and attacked Pops, hitting him against the floor. Sarah looked down, covering her bleeding injury.  
"Thanks..."she whispered.


	4. Chapter 4

When the fight between John and Pops went on, Sarah climbed down, moaning in pain.  
"Sarah?" Kyle rushed to her."We cannot get through..."  
"There`s gotta be another way. Come on!"Sarah took Kyle`s hand with her non-injured arm and they started running.  
Pops had sent John Connor flying through a door close to the quantum-machine. John Connor slowly stood up, seeming injured. And very, very mad.  
Pops almost managed to kick him down, over the edge, but for a second he just floated through the air, then got back his form.  
Then he attacked Pops, almost sending him down, but then he grabbed his arm and he was sawing it into the pieces. Done with it, the cyborg sent the injured T-800 2 levels down, back first.  
Slowly, Pops stood and turned to face the John-cyborg. "What do you want?"  
"I want you to understand me,"the cyborg stroke Pops again, who fell on the floor. "...I want your energy..."he stepped closer.  
"I don`t get it..."Pops blocked another hit and held John in place."I am old. Why me?"  
"I can`t kill my mother...and father, I guess."John had a grin on his face. "But I surely can destroy you."  
"What are you?"  
"I can`t be reasoned with. I can`t be bargained with..."John-cyborg slowly pushed Pops forward, trying to get him out of his way.  
Pops saw Sarah and Kyle Reese from the corner of his eye, while trying to keep John from moving.  
Pops looked like he`d been through meat grinder, but he was still up and moving.  
"Sarah...Connor..." the T-800 grit out, managing to keep a stable grip on the cyborg. "Saferoom...lowest level...go!"  
"What about you?" Sarah screamed, seeing the fight.  
"Go!" Pops yelled, throwing the John-cyborg away from his friends.  
"We might make it in time,"Kyle spoke urgently, motioning for the young woman to help him.  
"Sarah!" Reese yelled again, finally getting her to turn her gaze away from Pops and the fight to help him.  
Sarah stood there, frozen.  
"Come on!" Kyle grabbed her wrist so tightly it might leave bruises and dragged her towards the exit. "We must go."  
"But...Pops..."Sarah was about to start crying. "I cannot leave him there to....die!"  
Kyle Reese kicked the door shut behind them.  
Sarah sat in the corner, head resting in her knees, not moving an inch.  
"Sarah?"  
Sarah hesitated to move, unsure of what to do. Her heart ached inside, she felt broken.  
"Sarah?"  
Here eyes filled with tears as she looked up at Kyle Reese.  
"Pops is dead..."  
A tear rolled down her cheek as she thought of Pops. Her voice quivered as she spoke, feeling quilt stabbing her from the inside.  
"Is it over?"  
Sarah dropped on her knees on the cold floor and squeezed her eyes shot as she sobbed in pain.  
Slowly Kyle begun to back away from her, sitting down against the wall and just watching. His expression was worn and vacant, the man bringing his legs up his chest and waiting.  
Then a huge crash was heard and everything was shaken...Sarah wanted to jump up, but couldn`t.  
Later, there was nothing but silence...  
Kyle Reese looked at Sarah. "You need to understand that Skynet is gone... You`re free. For the first time, you can choose the life you want."  
"What if I don`t know how?" Sarah was still not moving.  
"Well, since we`re about to run out of air..."Kyle stood up and then he stood next to her, looking down on Sarah`s little fragile form,"I think you should give yourself to me, finally."  
Sarah raised her head, fear deep in her eyes. "No... I don`t want to..."  
Just when Kyle was about to grab her wrists, something metallic came through the wall. Kyle jumped back, Sarah stood slowly.  
The door was teared open and bright light blinded both. A tall figure stood there, but it was impossible to see, who it was.  
The figure came closer and a familiar voice said "Hello, Sarah Connor."  
"Pops!" Sarah had tears of happiness in her eyes, when she run towards the Terminator and hugged him.  
"I thought you were dead!"  
Pops looked down on her, something new in his dark eyes.  
"No, just upgraded."he commented, but his voice broke for a second. Enough for Sarah to know, that Pops felt something deeped towards her than just urge to be her protector and guardian.  
"What about John?" asked Kyle, standing on his place. He felt jealousy, but was hiding it well.  
"His constituent parts could not have survived the plast."answered Pops, arms still around Sarah Connor.  
Kyle Reese managed to smile. "So, it`s finally done?"  
"For now. But the danger is never over."


	5. Chapter 5

Sarah was sitting in her room and relaxing, when Kyle walked in. Surprised, Sarah raised her head.  
"Hello, beautiful,"Kyle spoke slowly.  
*Oh god, he`s drunk again,*thought Sarah, getting nervous. She hated drunk people.  
"Get off me!"Sarah yelled, as Kyle tried to pin her down into the mattress.  
Kyle chucked and covered Sarah`s mouth with his hand. "No-one can hear you...I locked the door."Kyle said, breathing against Sarah`s neck.  
Sarah`s eyes widened, as tears came into her eyes. While she was in shock, Kyle pinned her against the wall.  
Sarah cried out and tried to claw off his arms, however Kyle Reese was taller and stronger than her. And he was a man.  
"What a slut you are,"he taunted, as he grabbed Sarah`s chin,"moaning without permission."  
Out of pure fear Sarah began crying as she kicked and screamed around the hand covering her mouth. Kyle slapped her across the face.  
"Shut it, princesse! You belong to me!"he said, unbuttoning Sarah`s jeans and pulling them down. "You don`t know how long I`ve been waiting for this..."  
A hand run it`s way around Sarah`s stomach. Before she could scream, the door was pushed out of it`s way and a huge figure ame in.  
"Kyle Reese. Stop it!"  
This interruption gave Sarah enough time to run downstairs. She run to the bathroom and curled up, crying.  
Sarah cried like there was too much raw pain inside her to be contained. She cried like her spirit needed to break loose from her skin, desperate to release an elemental rage on the world. She was scared, dissapointed and very, very sad. How could Kyle do this to her?  
She didn`t know, how much time had passed, but then she felt a strong hand on her tiny shoulder.  
"Sarah Connor, you okay?"  
It was Pops, with concerned voice. Sarah looked up at him.  
"I guess so..."  
"What happened to your face?"  
"I fell....and stumbled against the door,"lied Sarah quickly.  
Pops stood there, looking down on her. "Don`t lie to me, my Sarah."  
"Wha- what?"  
"This injury is man-made, not because of falling."Pops stepped closer."Did Kyle hit you?"  
Sarah looked down, ashamed. "Yes..."  
Pops knelt down next to her, unsure how to react. Something was boiling in his half-human head, some strange feelings he had been hiding about eleven years.  
Slowly, hesitantly, he put his large hands around Sarah`s tiny form. Sarah`s head fell to his shoulder, she relaxed completely.  
"I love you...Pops," she whispered very quietly, "don`t push me away..."  
"I love you, my Sarah," Pops whispered, his voice breaking. It was weird, but he could FEEL emotions and they were very strong. And then he was covering the slackened face in kisses, running his hands along forehead, cheekbones, nose, ears, all the while murmuring "I love you." He couldn't touch enough...taste enough...say it enough.  
Sarah shivered a bit, but then had a strong grip on his shoulders, not willing to let go of him. Pops` eyes travelled over her body. Her jacket hung open, breasts visible beneath it. Pops lifted his hand and gently touched her, Sarah smiled nervously.  
"We should move to the beroom,"pointed Pops, lifting the girl up.  
He carried her to the bed. He kissed Sarah`s neck, as his hand continued to touch her body. Sarah moaned, as his fingers touched her nipples. She cupped the back of his head, threading her fingers through his hair and pulled him closer.  
"Sarah,"he whispered against her breast.  
Sarah felt his hand trail from her breast down to her soaked panties. She moaned quietly, as Pops slipped a finger inside her wet folds. She moved up and down his finger, as Pops found her clit.  
"You feel so good,"she whispered, biting his neck.  
"As do you, my Sarah."  
Pops added another finger and Sarah moved her hands to his shoulders to steady herself, as she rode his fingers. She couldn`t take it anymore. She needed him inside of her. She reached into his boxers and pulled his cock free. She stroked him from base to tip multiple times as Pops let out a strangled moan. Then Sarah raised up and lowered herself onto him inch by inch.  
She let out a small cry, as he filled her completely.  
"You are just victim of a fight,"smiled Pops, letting Sarah relax and feel his size.  
Sarah wrapped her hands around his neck, trying to smile through the uncomfortable feeling. "You are not so machine afterall..."  
"I am able to feel. Your fate was to be with Kyle Reese..."  
Sarah covered his lips with her tiny fingers."Stop it. There is no fate only what we make ourselves. And I want to be with you."  
She relaxed, moving her body hesitantly.   
Pops looked her in the eye."Are you sure?"  
"Yes..."  
"I do not wish to hurt you, My Sarah,"Pops said, kissing her neck. Sarah whimpered, hugging him.  
He saw the bruises on her face and gently touched them with his fingers. Sarah had tears in her eyes.  
"All this time..."she whispered.  
"I know." Pops held her in his arms."I am sorry, that I denied myself the feelings."  
"It`s okay. We are together."  
She relaxed her head on his strong shoulder, feeling protected and loved.   
Pops pushed her gently down, onto the mattress. "Do you still wanna do this, my Sarah?"  
"Yeah..."  
Pops kissed her neck gently, trying not to give in to his sudden will to thrust into her body wildly.   
"Now tell me what you want us to do," he insisted, while nibbling on Sarah's neck, making it hard to think.  
"Show me," she answered. "Show me what you want to do."  
"Oh, my Sarah," Pops said somewhat indistinctly. "You don't have to try to please me. Just tell me how to please you."  
"I don't really know, Pops. I don't have much experience."  
Pops lifted her face, bearing the marks of confusion. "You don't know?" he asked, sounding puzzled. His eyes narrowed slightly and he captured Sarah's gaze. "Just how much experience do you have? I know, that you`re a virgin, but..."  
"Umm, pretty much only what happened tonight. If you count that."   
Then Pops crushed Sarah to his breast, wrapped his arms possessively around her, and covered her face with kisses. "Then I was right. We are each-other`s first."  
Sarah didn't say anything and just revelled in being held and cherished. After a few moments, the frantic kisses melted into slower, sensual caresses.  
Pops began pounding into her, still trying to be slow and gentle.   
"Please..."begged Sarah, gripping at his shoulders. "please..."  
Pops looked her in the eye, concern in his brown eyes. "What...ahh..."  
Sarah made a small whimpering sound, Pops just couldn`t hold himself back anymore and with a groan he came, falling down next to the girl.   
Sarah`s eyes were closed, her breathing slow, she had a smile on her lips. "Love you..."  
"I love you too, my Sarah."


	6. Together

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sarah and Pops are together. But what about Kyle?

Sarah fell asleep, pressing her tiny body tightly against Pops` strong chest. Her protector had his strong hand gently around her waist, the other under her neck.  
It was so good to be like that, protected and loved.  
When she woke and turned her head, she saw Pops sitting behind her.  
"You slept well?"  
"Never been better!" she blushed.  
"Your heart rate is up again. Something wrong?"  
"No,"Sarah closed her eyes for a moment, "I`m... just happy."  
Pops didn`t know, what to answer, but then Sarah put her tiny hands around his face and kissed him.  
Pops deepened the kiss, holding her tiny frame against his strong body.  
"We should check the guns and get something to eat,"suggested Sarah. "At least I am hungry."  
Sarah got dressed quickly and hand in hand, they walked out from the small house. Sarah couldn`t stop smiling, her heart was singing, finally she felt happy and protected. Pops looked down at her.  
"Are you fine, my Sarah?"  
"Absolutely! I am happy."  
Sarah basically hated this city. The cityscape from the top of the cathedral was a mess, roads looping and weaving with less organisation than a natural river. Once it had been a town, but its proximity to the river and easy land connections made it a hub of trade. Unlike the newer cities it grew organically, roads twisting, houses of all shapes and sizes. There were no blocks, no grid pattern, you either knew the place or carried a GPS.  
She looked at Pops and smiled. "How long have you denied your feelings?"  
Pops didn`t know, what to say. He knelt in front of the small woman and put his hands on her shoulders. "Too long, I guess."  
"Remember, what you once said- desire is irrelevant. I am a machine..."  
"Yes?"  
"But you are more human than anyone I know." She kissed him deeply. "I love you."  
"I love you too, my Sarah."  
They stayed like this for a long time, holding each other. Sarah`s head fell on Pops` shoulder, she felt loved and protected.   
"Ahemm..."  
Both Pops and Sarah turned around to see, who interrupted them. It was Kyle Reese.  
Sarah stepped back, but Pops stopped her.  
"Don`t be afraid, my Sarah."  
Slowly, so slowly Kyle came closer. "I`m sorry for what I did and ...I`ll let you both be happy. Can you forgive me, Sarah?"  
"Yes, Kyle."  
(...)


End file.
